After a day off Wednesday, the Penguins returned to practice yesterday and for the first time since suffering a stroke on November 28th, Kris Letang took part, wearing a full-contact practice jersey. Coach Mike Sullivan gathered the team on the ice and spoke to them briefly to welcome Letang back, and the players responded with the time-honored hockey tradition of tapping their sticks on the ice. Letang then put in a full workout, alternating with P.O. Joseph on the third defensive pairing and on the second power play unit.
The Penguins made Dr. Dhamesh Vyas available after the practice, and he compared this stroke to Letang’s first stroke, suffered in 2014.
Letang said he is confident in Dr. Vyas’s leadership.
Letang said it was good to be back on the ice with his teammates.
The 35-year-old Letang said the important thing is that his wife has a husband and his children have a father, and hockey is secondary.
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said the team was thrilled to have Letang back, and the stick tap showed how much they admire him.
Crosby says Letang is a great teammate.
Coach Mike Sullivan says the Penguins will rely on the guidance of the team’s medical staff to determine when Letang can play again.
The Penguins play the first of two games on back-to-back nights against Buffalo tonight.
Sullivan has long been impressed with the Sabres’ Tage Thompson, who scored five goals Wednesday night against Columbus.
Sullivan says the Penguins’ power play is finally coming together, and the team feeds off that success when playing at even strength.
Ryan Poehling skated in a white non-contact jersey yesterday after missing Tuesday night’s game with an undisclosed injury. Josh Archibald had a scheduled day off for rest.
Tonight’s game at Buffalo faces off at 7 PM. It’s a six o’clock airtime on 92.5 FM U92 and the U92 Sportschannel.
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